Job-Creating Visa Program Had Record Applications in 2013

6,434 Foreign Investors Applied for Visas Under Program Last Year

A federal program that allows foreigners to live in the U.S. if they invest in job-creating ventures took in a record-high number of applications last year.

Known as an EB-5 visa, the program has boomed over the past seven years, as traditional forms of financing dried up for projects ranging from hotels, condos and casinos, to wind farms and frozen yogurt franchises. The minimum investment under the program is $500,000.